$1.2 million in funds to help clear health care backlog

Topeka  The state has received a $1.2 million bonus that will be used to clear a backlog of 16,000 applications for health care, officials said Tuesday.

“This is very good news for Kansas,” said Barb Langner, Kansas state medicaid director.

Because of the recession, there has been a large increase in applications for Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program called HealthWave. Meanwhile, the state has cut funds to the Kansas Health Policy Authority.

“So the result is that we now have a large backlog of about 16,000 applications that have been waiting to be processed for more than 45 days,” Langner said.

The bonus was provided under the federal Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act.

It will go toward funding additional temporary staff to reduce the backlog of applications.